How My Life Changed Forever
by Pinkpoodle8
Summary: Meet Claire. She doesn't have what you would call a perfect life. She gets terrible treatment from her family at home, and all she wants to do is show her dancing to the world. And after moving from Boston to Chicago, she meets two girls, and watches her dreams unfold right in front of her very eyes.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! Sorry for the **_**really long **_**break. I've been **_**so busy**_**. But I found this chapter on my computer somewhere, and, well, why not upload it?**

**I want to say thank you to the people that like the prologue. You guys kept me going with this story.**

**I also want to thank everyone who is still reading this. The people who didn't forget about me.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Shake It Up. I only own my OC's.**

And now, here is the first chapter of "How My Life Changed Forever"!

**Chapter 1**

"Alright, that's enough everybody. Pack up, and I will see all of you tomorrow."

I went over to my bag and put it over my shoulder. I then waved good-bye to the class and began to head home.

It was a cool, fall, day, and as I was walking, I could feel the wind blowing.

But before I continue, I should probably tell you who the hell I am, right?

Hi. I'm Claire. Claire Pennington. I'm 15 years old, live in Boston, Massachusetts, and go to Kadlees High School, and plan to go to college once I graduate. That is, if my family will allow that. I do good in school, it's just that my family isn't so big on me going to college.

Anything else you should know? Nope, that's probably it.

Oh wait! I almost forgot something. I forgot the most important thing about me!

I'm a dancer.

Dance has always been my thing. Ever since I was 8, that is. It was a special day, the day I started dancing. Dance is my life, and I don't know what I would do without it.

I take three styles of dance: lyrical, tap, and hip-hop. I don't know why, but hip-hop has always been my favorite. I like lyrical and tap, it's just that… when you're dancing hip-hop, there's no rules. I like that.

That's where I'm walking home from, actually. Hip-hop rehearsal. Dance is a far walk from my house, but my parents don't wanna waste their time driving me to rehearsal all the time.

So, after 20 minutes of walking, I'm finally home.

I take my keys out of my bag and unlock the door. I don't bother to tell anyone that I'm home though, it's not like they care.

"Claire!" my step-dad snaps at me as soon as I take my first step inside.

"Oh, uh… hi Mark." I say quietly, nervous. I _never _refer to Mark as my dad. He demands that I _never _refer to him as dad. And I don't argue with that. Mark will _never _be my dad.

"You were supposed to be home 15 minutes ago! Where have you been?!"

"I'm… I'm sorry Mark. But Miss. Diane kept us late, she wanted to run a number one last time and-" I begin, nervous.

"There are no excuses. You know that. You're lucky that we even _let_ you take dance, and you know our rules."

"I don't get why you even let her take those classes." my older brother, Carter says. "She's not even _good!_"

"Oh shut up, you." I mumble to him, looking at my brother.

Mark glances me a look, and I look down at the floor.

When Mark glances away from me, I go up to my room. It's the only room that I feel comfortable in. I then turn on the TV in my room (it was a gift from my friend Kaylee), to 'Shake It Up, Boston'.

'Shake It Up, Boston' is a local dance show that is filmed about a half-hour away from my house. I discovered it about a month after I started dancing. It's been my favorite show since. And it's my absolute _dream_ to be cast as a dancer. Hopefully, it will happen one day. Scratch that. I _know_ it will happen one day.

After the host, Peter Michaels, introduces the show, the dancers start dancing.

Sometimes, as I'm sitting down and watching TV, I wish that a fairy godmother could just float down here and help me with all of my problems. But I know that fairies don't exist, and unforchantly, they never will.

So I just sit down on my bed, watch the show, and be happy that I'm all alone.

xox

Once the show is over, my mom screams at me to come down for dinner. So I shut off my TV and go downstairs. I'm obedient when it comes to my parents. That's just me.

I come downstairs to find my parents and my brother already sitting at the table.

"Sit down, you." Mark says sharply, pointing at the empty chair.

I sit down and begin to put some potatoes on my plate. But as I'm doing that, I get interrupted.

"Your father has some important news to tell you both." my mom says.

Me and Carter glance at each other, which we do when we get nervous.

"Yes, Mark?" Carter asks. Even though Mark likes Carter a whole lot more than me, Carter doesn't like calling Mark our "dad", either

"Well," Mark began, "my job location got moved. To Chicago."

"And?" Carter asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Since I really need this job, I accepted the move."

I drop my fork, and it makes a loud clang noise on the plate.

"Your… Your moving to Chicago?" I ask.

"Not just me, Claire. We're _all_ moving to Chicago."

And that, everyone, is how my whole life collapsed on top of me in _one single night_.

**That's Chapter 1! Big cliffhanger, right? I hope you all enjoyed it!**

**For any new readers out there, I do that a lot, just so you know, the cliffhangers. But for any of my previous readers that have stumbled on to this story, I hope you all enjoyed the little reference in there.**

**It might be a while before I post the next chapter. I have **_**no idea**_ **when I'll be posting it.**

**Don't forget to review and tell me what you think of the story so far!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! I'm back! Since this is the first day of a well deserved (and hopefully wonderful) summer vacation, I decided to post this chapter, which has been sitting on my computer for a couple of weeks now.**

**I want to say thanks to everyone who has been reading this story.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Shake It Up. I only own Claire and my other OC's**

And now, here's Chapter 2 of "How My Life Changed Forever"!

**Chapter 2**

"Thanks again for another great show. We'll be right back here next week for more dancing fun. Until then, I'm Peter Michaels, reminding you to Shake It Up, Boston!"

I took one earbud out of my ear as I looked out of the airplane window. I'm just… really upset. We were moving, all the way to _Chicago_ for Gods sake! It's not like we're moving to another city in Massachusetts state! No. We're moving to Chicago. And there isn't a God damn thing that I could do about it.

I have to leave every thing that I actually _cared _about! My friends, my house, my school…

But what really broke my heart was that I had to leave my _dance teams_ behind.

Dance is what keeps me _strong_. It's what keeps me together. When I'm upset at Mark, or even my brother, I just imagine myself on 'Shake It Up, Boston' one day, and that make me happier.

But I can't even do that now, can I? No, I _can't._

Because, yet again, _Mark _ruined my life.

But this isn't something that I can just dance through. Cause I can't dance through _anything_ anymore.

I'm never going to be on 'Shake It Up, Boston'. It's just, _never going to happen._

Cause I don't live in Boston anymore.

I live in _stupid_ Chicago, Illinois.

xox

After the 2 and a half hour flight, we got off the plane, and settled in the airport. But when Mom had to go to the bathroom, Mark took me and Carter aside.

"Now, listen you two." Mark growled. "I don't want _any _of you two doing anything _stupid _anymore. You're not children. Your young adults."

"So Carter, no more football."

"Wait, _what?!"_

Mark smirked.

"No more football!" he growled. "And Claire, no more dance."

"Excuse me?" I asked, leaning back and raising an eyebrow.

Mark then got in my face.

"No. more. dance." he said.

"Mark, I'm still going to play football." Carter said. "I'm 17 years old. I've been playing football for 10 years now. I'm almost an adult, and you _can't_ tell me what to do."

Mark looked like he was going to _slap _Carter, but then I spoke up.

"Yeah." I agreed. "I've been dancing since I was 8, and you _are not_ going to take that away from me."

Mark looked like a tiger in the wild.

"Listen you two!" he screamed. "I will give you up for _adoption_ if you don't listen to me! You _will not_ be playing anymore football, and you _will not _be doing anymore dancing! Do you understand?!"  
We both nodded.

He then got in our faces again.

"And if you tell this to your mother…" he began. "You will wish that you were _never _born."

He then slapped us both in the face.

xox

"Good job everybody. See you tomorrow!"

CeCe Jones and Rocky Blue stepped off the 'Shake It Up, Chicago' stage and went over to the bench where they had placed their bags.

"So," CeCe began as she and Rocky flung their bags over their shoulders. "ready for the show on Saturday?"

Rocky gave a single nod with a smile on her face.

"Yep." she said confidently, but quietly. "I'm just scared about that part where we do the one-step into the-"

"Oh _relax_, Rock." CeCe interrupted as she and her best friend began walking home. "You _got _this!"

Rocky shrugged.

"I don't know…"

CeCe then stopped walking.

"What's wrong, CeCe?" Rocky asked her, stopping as well.

CeCe sighed.

"Rocky." CeCe began. "You _got this._ You are such a talented dancer, and you have to stop doubting yourself! Gary wouldn't give it to you if he didn't think you could do it, right?"

Seconds later, Rocky shook her head.

"No." she said quietly with a smile.

CeCe smiled.

"Good." she said, grasping her best friend's hand.

They then walked home.

xox

When CeCe and Rocky got to their apartment building, they noticed a big truck parked by it in the street.

"Ooo." CeCe said, interested. "What's that?"

Rocky shrugged.

"I don't know. But let's get inside" Rocky said, grasping CeCe's wrist. "It's getting late and-"

But CeCe had already gotten closer to the truck.

Rocky rolled her eyes as she caught up with CeCe.

It was a big truck, with it's trunk wide open. Inside were _many _paper boxes. There was a lady standing on the cub with a boy who you would assume was her son. The woman was carrying so many boxes that it looked like she was going to fall! The boy then took some boxes off of the woman's hands.

"Ooo!" CeCe said excitedly, but a bit loudly. "He's cute!"

"Shh!" Rocky scolded.

Two more people then appeared. A teenage girl, not too much older than Rocky and CeCe, and a man, who one would assume was the father.

"Get the boxes and GO!" the man said loudly.

The girl nodded as she got 3 or 4 boxes out of the truck, and then headed onto the curb.

"You too, Carter! Don't just stand there! GO!"

"Yes, Mark." he said quietly, barely audible.

"Carter…" CeCe said dreamily.

"CeCe!" Rocky scolded, elbowing her best friend in the arm.

"What?" CeCe asked, not seeing what she did wrong.

"That father is _so mean!_" Who talks to their children like that?"

CeCe shrugged.

"I don't know. Maybe he's just upset."

Rocky slowly nodded.

"Maybe…" she said quietly.

They then began walking to the front of the building.

"Hey!"

The girls turned around to find the man giving them a deathly stare.

"Where do you two think you're going?!" he snapped.

"Uh… we _live_ here." Rocky explained.

"We _live _here." he said, mocking Rocky.

"Hey!" CeCe said, ready to show Mark who he was talking to. "Don't mock her!"

"Don't mock her!" Mark said, mocking CeCe again.

CeCe rolled her eyes.

"Kids like you shouldn't be out this late." Mark explained.

"We're _not _kids!" CeCe explained. "We're _15 years old!_"

"_Sure _you are." Mark said, rolling his eyes.

CeCe and Rocky were _mad_.

"Listen you two." he said bitterly. "If you don't go inside in the next _3 seconds_, I'm gonna call the cops on you!"

CeCe and Rocky then turned around and went inside.

Mark smirked, glad that he had shown those kids who's boss.

xox

Once CeCe and Rocky entered CeCe's apartment (Rocky was sleeping over), CeCe's mother ran over to them in delight.

"Hey, ladies!" Mrs. Jones said excitedly. "Did you see the moving truck across the street?"

CeCe nodded.

"We did, Mom." she said, as if it was obvious. "There was a full family out there."

Rocky nodded.

"The dad was _so rude! _He was yelling at his family to bring in all of the moving boxes." Rocky explained. "He even threatened to call the police on us because we were coming back from rehearsal 'late'."

Mrs. Jones rolled her eyes.

"He's probably just upset, Rocky. Moving can be hard sometimes."

"Yeah…" Rocky said quietly, nodding.

"C'mon." Mrs. Jones said, trying to change the topic. "Dinner's ready."

The three of them headed towards the table where Flynn already was, and began eating their dinner.

xox

I noticed two girls walking as we got the boxes from the moving truck. They looked about my age. One had red hair and the other had brown hair. They were both wearing light clothes, as if they were coming back from some type of rehearsal.

I don't think that Mark had _any_ right to snap at them like that. They even told him that they're _15!_ So am I! And he was just _so rude_, to two _complete strangers!_

I sometimes want to go against Mark when he's acting rude, and stick up for whoever he's tormenting. I just _hate_ him, and I don't want him to think that he's the king of this family, or life, for that matter. But sometimes it's hard, and my nerves are stronger than my confidence.

With Mark yelling and screaming at us (and sometimes, random people for being 'in our way'), it took us _3 hours_ for us to unpack _everything. _And Mark barely even _helped!_ He just slept on the couch, snoring and drooling.

At 11:00, I finally went into my new room. I had tried to place things in the best way I could to make it resemble my own room back home. Some of it worked, but some of it… didn't.

It was after I got dressed when my brain suddenly remembered what Mark had said in the airport.

"_No. more. dance."_

I shook it off.

For one of the first times in my life, I don't _care_ what Mark says. He could say no more _food_, or _water_, or _clothing_, but it doesn't mean that I have to _listen _to him. Mark _isn't_ my father. He's not the one who sat there with Mom in the hospital room 15 years ago. He's not the one who raised me as a baby. Mark can't tell me what to do, because he's not my _father_.

And he will _never_ be my father.

So just because he told me that I can't dance anymore doesn't mean that I'm going to _listen_ to him.

Cause I'm not.

I'm gonna go to the _first_ dance studio I can _find_ tomorrow morning, and see if I can enroll.

Because I'm still gonna dance.

Even if it kills me.

**So, that's Claire for ya! Shy, but spunky Claire! I hope you all liked this chapter! **

**Sorry if you find this really short! I didn't want to put too much in one chapter!**

**I'm **_**definitely**_ **going to be writing more, cause school is **_**finally **_**done, but I start camp on Monday, and I go away quite frequently, since I'm in the upper division. I'll try to post at least one chapter a week, though, maybe even two if I'm not that busy. But if I don't post as much as I promise to, I'm sorry.**

**Don't forget to review and tell me what you think of the story!**


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